Epress.am News from Armenia
A group of homeowners cheated by Glendale Hills Company today tried to block a street adjoining the office of Armenia’s Government, but the police did not let them approach the roadway.
The protest participants are owners of apartments from newly constructed buildings on Tigran Mets Blvd., Buzand St., Yekmalyan St., and residents neighboring Yerevan Wine Factory. They have noted, that because of Glendale Hills going bankrupt, a 130 people have lost their homes and are renting apartments one after another.
The demonstrators had gone to the Government office to ask for a meeting with prime minister Karen Karapetyan, hoping that they had higher chances of meeting with Karapetyan in the pre-election period since they are “potential voters.”
The gathered complained about the living wall of policemen lined up in front of the Government building, arguing that they were not criminals. The law enforcement officers, for their part, insisted that they were there “to protect the demonstrators from the cold.”
After the forced expropriation of her apartment on Buzand St., a resident named Armine and her family were provided with a temporary shelter in a neighborhood close to the wine factory; the family were also promised that they would soon receive an apartment in a newly constructed building on Firdous St.
“We have exhausted all the legal means of struggle; I have personally filed dozens of appeals with the President’s office, but I have yet to receive a written response. I have even filed a lawsuit, but the process is being dragged out. It’s been 3 years, but they won’t give a solution to this simple case. Hayk Davtyan, an urban matters advisor to the prime minister, has been assigned to deal with the issue, but he always tells us ‘ I have nothing to say to you.’ [Authorities] are forcing us to resort to riots as I don’t think we will get anywhere by legal ways,” the speaker said.